Perceived Changes in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Stress During the Pandemic Predict Current Levels of...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Psychology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions may have led to negative changes in physical and psychological health.
• Decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior were common during the pandemic.
• Understanding if these pandemic-induced changes predict current health behaviors is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between perceived changes in physical activity, sitting, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and current measures of these variables.
• To determine if pandemic-related health behavior shifts have lasting effects.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered in April 2022 to 208 participants.
• Participants reported perceived changes in physical activity, sitting, and stress during the pandemic.
• Current physical activity, daily sitting, and anxiety levels were self-reported, followed by Pearson correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• Perceived inactivity during the pandemic correlated with lower current physical activity (r = -0.28) and higher current sitting (r = 0.19).
• Perceived increased sitting during the pandemic correlated with lower current physical activity (r = -0.26).
• Perceived increased stress during the pandemic correlated with higher current anxiety (r = 0.35).

Conclusions:

• Negative health-related changes perceived during the COVID-19 pandemic may have persistent effects on individuals' current health behaviors.
• Findings suggest a link between pandemic-era inactivity/stress and ongoing lower physical activity and higher anxiety.
• Interventions may be needed to address lingering impacts of pandemic-related health behavior changes.